Madden 2011 hits shelves on Aug. 10th and I don’t think there will be many disappointed gamers out there.

The series (which debuted in 1989) has seen many advancements over the decades (Yes, decades. Can you believe it?). Usually, the changes are limited to subtle tweaks to enhance the Madden experience.

Quite a different story this year.

Most Madden fans can rely on their skills carrying them from one generation of the game to the next. But 2011 offers the largest difference in game-play from one season to the next in the history of the series.

And that’s the magic of Madden 2011.

The biggest change comes with play-calling. The debut of the GameFlow system enables users to reduce the number of play options from hundreds — to just one.

The system has the CPU pick a play automatically based on the scenario for each down. The user simply has to execute the play to the best of his or her ability. Don’t panic, the traditional play-calling system is still an option. But GameFlow really adds a different twist — on offense and defense — that I found appealing.

Also, the games are fast.

The days of dedicating an hour to an average game are over. With GameFlow, total time (with five-minute quarters) has been reduced to 30 minutes. This seemed very unnatural to me, but players can easily adjust the duration of the quarters to accommodate their preference.

So it was nice to squeeze in a quick game in 30 minutes without having to drop the quarters down to the two-minute range. And the concept of a 15-minute quarter to coincide with a real NFL game doesn’t seem like such an unappealing option anymore.

I did not try the Online Team Play mode (simply because none of my fellow gaming friends have access to it yet). But it advertises a variety of options.

For example, a group of gamers can play at the same time, playing 3-on-3 with — or against — up to five their friends. There can be up to six live players on the field at once at any combination of offensive or defensive positions.

This is only the tip of the iceberg when addressing all that is new with this game. I don’t want to delve too far into all of them, but I welcomed the notion of not just picking up where 2010 left off. And there is a profound excitement associated with trying to master a fresh game.

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Now, for the down and dirty.

As a Denver Broncos fan who has gone to every Raiders game in Denver for the past 15 years, the first team matchup was an easy choice. Using GameFlow, I ran the plays as they were presented to me, while utilizing the various options available on offense and defense.

GameFlow surprisingly presented me with mostly passing plays, but I didn’t go the conservative route, and had Kyle Orton firing with precision on many down-field routes.

Other than a strong opening drive by the Raiders’ offense, the defense seemed to be the strongest area of the Broncos, but they were also lead by a healthy Elvis Dumervil making plays all over the field. The real Broncos likely won’t have such a luxury when they face the Raiders.

Other than Dumervil, Justin Bannan seemed to have some exceptional play-making ability on the game. Anyways, final score: Broncos 20, Raiders 7.

Ok, so I took on the computer and came away with a win, but now I needed some real competition, so I enlisted my 7-year-old son. Don’t scoff. The kid has skills and I’m ashamed to say probably knows the ins and outs of the game better than myself.

With this match up, he went with the San Diego Chargers and I stayed with my Broncos, only with Tim Tebow at the helm.

The first play on offense for the Broncos resulted in an 80-yard run up the middle for a touchdown by Knowshon Moreno. It’s worth noting that he did this behind a Madden-projected starting offensive line of Ryan Clady (LT), Russ Hochstein (LG), Seth Olsen (C), J.D. Walton (RG), and Ryan Harris (RT).

What stood out in this game was the play of Tebow. I can’t recall completing one pass in coverage, but I hit every receiver that was basically wide open. Philip Rivers completed his usual array of passes while seemingly getting clobbered just after every release, and he drove the Chargers down the field and put them up by seven points with under a minute left to play.

Enter Tebow.

After the ensuing kickoff, Tebow had three consecutive incomplete down-field passes. His passes where flat and the defenders had no trouble swatting them down. I knew I had to try something different.
On fourth down, Tebow hit Eddie Royal on a short slant designed to cross up coverage for a 75-yard touchdown to tie the game and send it into overtime (the crowd goes wild).

As one would expect, Tebow is beyond mobile in this game. In overtime I had him scrambling all over and trucking for large runs when no one seemed open, and dumping off for some nice yard-eaters when the defense collapsed on him. He marched the Broncos down to the 20, and Matt Prater put the game-winner through only two minutes into the extra period. Final score: Broncos 23, Chargers 20

I imagine this scenario is exactly what Josh McDaniels and all those Tebow fans envision for the highly-touted quarterback. But I need to give credit where it is due: When the game was on the line, Tebow made the plays at every turn to get the win. He was fairly unstoppable and I’m not ashamed to say I was shocked at all the plays I was able to make with him at the helm to pull out the win — in the great game of Madden 2011 and on this day, at least.

Pros: All the changes breathe new life into a game many have been playing for more years than they probably care to admit. The improved online options should help the transition into the interactive experience that is a growing genre in the gaming world. The GameFlow system should help beginners and novices make strides toward more competitive play.

Cons: It’s nothing new, but because of injuries, my interactive Broncos are already outdated. This is obviously something that can be overcome by manipulating game settings, but still…

Overall: I haven’t been overly excited about a Madden release in some time. Don’t get me wrong, I always get excited to a degree, but this year’s version is definitely a step above years past.

A&E reporter John Wenzel has covered a variety of topics for The Denver Post over the years, including video games, comedy, music and the fine arts. He's been playing and loving video games since his dad brought home a sweet ColecoVision in 1983. Catch him on PSN as beardsandgum.

Hugh got his start writing for the Cheyenne and Woodmen Edition newspapers in Colorado Springs. In 2011 he moved to Denver where he has written for Denver Urban Spectrum and Colorado Community Media’s Wheat Ridge Transcript. Hugh joined The Denver Post in 2014 as an editorial assistant.

Bryan Moore joined The Denver Post sports department in 1997 and has worked in many phases of producing the daily sports section ever since, specifically focusing on coverage of the Denver Broncos, Colorado Rockies, Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, and college football and basketball.